Hiring a Filipino Maid in China? Sounds Fantastic, But Not Easy

Hiring a Filipino Maid in China? Sounds Fantastic, But Not Easy

Pinoys in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan Thread, Hiring a Filipino Maid in China? Sounds Fantastic, But Not Easy in Working or Living Abroad; Jan 7 2011
It sounds so cool to hire a Filipino maid at home, but it is not easy in ...

Jan 7 2011
It sounds so cool to hire a Filipino maid at home, but it is not easy in China. Some law limitations might break that wish.

After a report on the employment of Filipino maids by people from Wenzhou, on a radio hotline, many citizens are discussing this hot topic- hiring a Filipino maid at home. “The local maid in my house is paid 2,000 RMB (299 US $) each month and always needs to take holidays. Though a Filipino maid is paid over 3,000 RMB (448 US $), it seems their service deserves the price. Are they really so good at housework? ” “Hiring a Filipino maid is just for those wealthy people to show off.” “Since we now have the ability to hire foreigners to serve us at home, why is it forbidden by the national law to hire a Filipino maid?”

With questions from the citizens, the reporter interviewed an officer from Employment Administration Bureau of Zhejiang province, who told reporter, “we have read the relevant reports on employment of Filipino maids by people from Wenzhou, and are planning to investigate and deal with the Wenzhou citizens and their hired Filipino maids, based on collected clues.”
Employment of Filipino Maids: Illegal VS. Difficulty in Investigation & Punishment

Another agent from the provincial bureau gives a categorical statement, “It must be illegal to hire a Filipino maid. In Article VI of Rules for the Administration of Employment of Foreigners in China, it clearly states that the post to be filled by the foreigner recruited by the employer shall be the post of special need, a post that cannot be filled by any domestic candidates for the time being but violates no government regulations.”

This agent states that, Rules for the Administration of Employment of Foreigners in China, is the general principle of employment of foreigners in our country. In addition, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People’s Republic of China, also issued specific supplementary regulations, which explicitly defined the employment of foreigners in China is targeted on introducing high-level personnel and strictly limit input of low-end labour who are not able to get employment permit under Chinese regulations. Therefore, employment of Filipino maid belongs to illegal employment.

At the same time, this agent emphasized that, individual economic organizations and private citizens are prohibited from employing foreigners. The employer of foreigners must be enterprise or unit. Even the individual business is not allowed to employ foreigners; otherwise, it all belongs to illegal employment. Once illegal employment is discovered, employment administration bureau will request the public security department and bureau of exit and entry administration to investigate and deal with the relevant cases.

In 2008, the provincial employment administration bureau actually investigated once, but did not find our employment of Filipino maids in large scale. He also admitted that there is practical difficulty to investigate and punish Filipino employments, for example, getting the evidence.

There is practical need in the market. A law, which was 15 years old, can it still function now? Just like what is mentioned by this agent, with legal risks, some elites or foreigners in Zhejiang are indeed hiring Filipino maids using some indirect ways, and some people else want to hire high-end domestic maid servants similar to Filipino maids. While Rules for the Administration of Employment of Foreigners in China, which was issued by Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Trade in 1996, has been used for 15 years, during a period when China has undergone tremendous changes. It is inevitable to question its practical function now.

This agent told reporter that, the enactment of Rules for the Administration of Employment of Foreigners in China, was based on the background at that time and it is very probable that it has not been able to fully meet the conditions in 2010. But he stressed that since it is a law, all the people need to comply with it.

However, one senior industry personnel does not agree with this view. In his opinion, Rules for the Administration of Employment of Foreigners in China is not out of date. Tao Xiaoying，general manager in Hangzhou Santi Group Ltd. Company, told the reporter that China is a country with rich labour resources, and not in lack of low-end labour. Now there are many unemployed college graduates. The need to hire Filipino maids takes only a small part. If the gate towards them is opened, it will make the employment situation in China much worse.

In Singapore, maid minimum monthly income of a Filipino maid is about 2000 yuan (299 US $). As for Filipino maid, Tao Xiaoying, who have engaged in domestic service industry for nearly 20 years, really have a say. She even made a special trip to Singapore to investigate Filipino maids in August 2010.

Filipina maids are all over the world, and their favorite places to work inclued these three countries and places: Singapore, Hong Kong and the United States. Because Singapore is the nearest to the Philippines, the number of Filipino maids there is also very large.

Tao introduced, at a Saturday, walking on the busiest pedestrian street, Wujie Road, she noticed those who sat on the benches are all Filipino maids and they were enjoying the leisure on holiday. But I also noticed a Filipino maid crying, just like fellowmen met each other in China and chatting aroused the feeling for hometown. According to her understanding, in Singapore, the employer needs to pay at least 700 Singapore dollars, including the monthly salary for the cheapest Filipino maid 400 Singapore dollars and nearly 300 Singapore dollars are turned over to the government for relevant taxes and fees.

Tao made an conclusion that, because the space in Singapore is small, with fewer resources and less people, employment of Filipino maids can solve the problem of low-end labour shortage and bring substantial revenue to the government. 1 Singapore dollar is approximately equal to 5 RMB, which means that a minimum monthly income of a Filipino maid is about 2,000 RMB (299 US $), the same as an ordinary local maid. However, this has already been multiplied than their income in the Philippines.

As mentioned in other reports, the monthly income of a Filipino maid in China is around 4,000 RMB (507 US $) in China, which makes many people want to make their fortunes in China. Are Filipino maids really as good as what they are described? Tao thought, the high-end maids in Hangzhou are factually better than Filipino maids. The biggest difference between Filipino maid and ordinary local maid is the career concept: the ordinary local maid considers housekeeping service as a means of life, while Filipino maid as a career. Meanwhile, the housekeeping service of Filipino maid is based on standards, procedures, with a stronger initiative. Many Filipino maids have college degrees, and their college courses are also connected with housekeeping service.

Of course, not all the Filipino maids are of high quality and college students. Tao said in fact good and bad Filipino maids are intermingled. In Hong Kong, there was once a vicious killing-employer case by Filipino maid and aroused huge discussion. Fluent English is the biggest selling point of Filipino maid, and also the biggest drawback. In China, Filipino maids are generally the second maid in a family, and their main job is looking after children, because some families think it is helpful to create an English growing atmosphere for children’s spoken English in the future. As for cooking dishes, the employer prefers to hire Chinese maids, because most Filipino maids do not know how to cook Chinese dishes.

Tao explained, many people think that the biggest drawback of Filipino maid is only speaking English. For those elites such as white-collar workers, it is ok to communicate in English, but for the elderly at home, it would be very difficult to communicate. Most importantly, Filipino maid employment in China is illegal and it is impossible to employ them through formal channels. Thus many problems will be left behind in the future.

Just because of the shortage of high-end maids, Filipino maid becomes so mysterious. Tao cited an example: Santi Group has started a high-end maid program called “Golden Key Housekeeper”, which has trained over 1,000 housekeepers and is still in short supply. These Golden Key Housekeepers are with high education and many with college degrees and receive professional housekeeping service including cleaning, cooking, tea art, Western-style pastry, etc. In fact, they are better than Filipino maids. The annual salaries for them starts from 50,000 RMB (7463 US $) and the highest is 100,000 RMB (14925 US $).

For example, the Golden Key Housekeeper who has the highest annual income, work very easily. The employer is back to the motherland for 4 months a year, and leaves the home to the housekeeper. The content of the job includes using the laptop regularly; drive the Mercedes-Bens car to keep their good qualities, etc. The annual income is composed of: 6,000 RMB (896 US $) per month which is 72,000 RMB (10,746 US $) a year, plus 7,000 RMB (1045 US $) of social insurance, annual bonus, birthday fees, costume fees, management fees and other fees.

Another report on China Daily. This article is much of an eulogization of Filipino maids, calling Filipino maids 'Trustworthy, industrious, highly educated, English-speaking, fun and caring'.

Demand for Filipino maids on the rise

By Karen Yip (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-11-08

A Filipina maid demonstrates her babycare skills during a lecture to her Chinese counterparts in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan province. [ZOU FEI / FOR CHINA DAILY]

But many break the law by giving them employment, say experts

BEIJING - Trustworthy, industrious, highly educated, English-speaking, fun and caring - these are some of the qualities that Filipino workers are known for worldwide.

It's little wonder then that increasing numbers of Chinese families who can afford to pay more are willing to hire Filipina maids, even at the expense of flouting the law.

Four-year-old Sophia Wang (not her real name) says she is closer to Auntie Tess - a name that she fondly calls her Filipina maid - than she is to her own mom and dad.

Her parents, both working professionals in their mid-30s, let Auntie Tess or Maria Teresa Cruz (not her real name), 48, who hails from Batangas in Luzon, in the Philippines, take charge of the household.

"She will grow up to think and behave like half a Chinese and half a global citizen," said Maria Teresa, who has worked as a maid in Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Malaysia for 10 years in total.

That is already evident: Sophia Wang is different from her Chinese classmates at a public school.

She naturally speaks fluent English. She doesn't waste food because she was trained to finish her meals. She tidies up after playtime. Like a typical Filipino, she enjoys singing, dancing, a sense of adventure and speaks her mind. Imitating her maid, who is a staunch Catholic, she prays but has yet to fully grasp the meaning of religion.

"She will be special. If she throws tantrums, she is immediately silenced. I have seen spoilt Chinese kids throw shoes or beat their Chinese maids and they are allowed to do it. I also make sure she changes her clothes every day," said Maria Teresa, beaming with pride.

After a personal introduction, her Chinese employers took an instant liking to her. She has lived with the Chinese family for two years on a business visa that her employers take the effort to renew every three months with the help of an agent.

She makes 3,500 yuan a month ($525), twice the average salary of a Chinese maid. In Beijing alone, the starting monthly salary for a Filipina maid is estimated to be 3,000 yuan.

Fringe benefits include free travel - for business or pleasure - with their Chinese employers. Some Filipina maids are even required to help plan and make appointments in English for their Chinese employers.

The Wang family, together with Maria Teresa, will spend Christmas this year at Hong Kong Disneyland.

It is estimated that there are eight million Filipinos working abroad. In 2009, they sent home $17.3 billion, according to data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the central bank of the Philippines.

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) sent $15.9 billion of remittances to the Philippines in 2008, up from the $14.4 billion in 2007, and $13 billion in 2006.

Money sent home by OFWs is a major contributor to the Philippine economy through the creation of new businesses and consumption, property purchases, and financing education.

Currently, foreign maids are not allowed to work in China. The only official way foreign maids can do so is if their employers are diplomats. Chinese laws allow diplomats to bring their personal staff of any nationality into the country.

However, unscrupulous agents are capitalizing on the popularity and demand for Filipina maids by word-of-mouth to wealthy Chinese families. They acquire visas using false documentation.

It is estimated that 75 percent of "hidden incomes" belong to those in the high-income category, which covers more than 2,000 urban families across the country. As personal incomes rise, the demand for domestic services will also increase, as is already evident.

"We have been telling our nationals that the domestic maid market is technically closed. Given the sheer number of people in China, we understand that the Chinese have to protect their labor market," said Noel Novicio, spokesman at the Philippine Embassy in Beijing when contacted by China Daily.

Based on registration at the embassy, there are 100,000 Filipinos currently residing in China. Out of this, 100 are in Beijing.

The Philippine government is working with the Chinese authorities to implement domestic labor laws and prevent foreign workers from becoming victims of scams or of their own ignorance.

"The market is experiencing a tight labor shortage. Because of this, the salaries for maids have increased. The Filipina maids fill a gap in the Chinese maid market," said Professor Zhao Yaohui, a specialist on labor economics at the China Center for Economic Research, Peking University.

"There is no stigma associated with being a maid in the Philippines and among the Filipinos. In fact, being a maid is a professional job. But it's a different story in China."

Women from China's rural areas, who usually take up jobs as maids, are abandoning the occupation to pursue better opportunities in the factories, she said.

"Society imposes a negative image of the maids. It is seen as unglamorous to be a maid and it's a lowly paid job."

She said due to this factor, which has partly contributed to the labor shortage, the salaries for Chinese maids have increased by at least 200 yuan a month from 2009 to 2010.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) in Beijing said the Chinese government has identified domestic work as a growth sector and is developing policies not just to promote employment but also to ensure the protection of domestic workers.

"Where there is a demand that cannot be met by the national workforce, opportunities for legally recruiting and employing a migrant worker should be considered," said Chen Qiaoling, an officer at the ILO in Beijing.

At the same time, domestic workers in China should have access to training opportunities and greater protection under the law to ensure a professionalization of the sector, he said.

"Many Filipino domestic workers are in diplomatic households. There are also those who work in households of international business professionals. It is expected that they move with their employers on the employers' foreign assignments.

"With China now an important center for international diplomacy and business, granting legal entry and work permits for diplomatic households is commonplace. It would be natural then to see more Filipino domestic workers in China as there are in New York and in Geneva," Chen said.

"I don't think China needs to import labor from other countries at this stage of its development," said Professor Pradeep Taneja from the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Melbourne.

If already there are significant numbers of Filipino domestic workers in China, then the Chinese government has to make sure that they are treated fairly and not subjected to physical or psychological abuse as has often been reported from other countries in the region where large numbers of Filipina female workers are employed, he said.

Nothing wrong with English spoken with one's local accent; I just wanted to point out that the writer's "fluent English" is really the tagalog variety. If you don't mind your kids speaking like that, then that's fine!

One-sided 2010-11-08 15:07 @The Other Side 2010-11-08 08:33

Good of you to present the other side of the picture! The article is one-sided, says nothing of the down side. While it is a general view, the other side should also be presented; that is good journalism!

Otton Bexaron 2010-11-08 14:55 "Filipina" is a spanish word: Spain occupied those islands in Asia in the middle of the 16th century. The Spaniards reached Manila by sailing from Acapulco on the West Coast of Mexico, then called "New Spain" as part of the Spanish America, across the Pacific. In those islands, the Spaniard met the Portuguese who had sailed directly from Europe around the south of Africa. Today a formal shirt worn in tropical Latin America is called "Filipina" - because the Spaniards introduced the shirt style from Manila- where they had seen in worn by sailors from CHINA: The "Filipina" shirt worn today in tropical Latin America is really of chinese origin and the style similar to traditional chinese garments.

Workers shld 2010-11-08 11:02 not be treated as sex objects..this is a wrong concept..treat them well and 99% of them will be better than the anglos who will smear you for what ever good you give them..this my food of thought..Filipinos 100% much better than angloid-krauts!

larrydu 2010-11-08 10:07 These wonderful maids provide a valuable service. I first took my little laotian wife dumfuk as a maid back in the 70's. She proved to be a valuable asset to my life so i married her. Next to her withered 4'8" frame, I'm a giant. Also, next to her bacon brown complexion, I'm practically white. All in all I love china and think foreign maids are great!

C.P. 2010-11-08 09:52 I think this article should be taken as a general overview on Filipino maids. Of course, there is always a bad apples among them. It is like saying Singapore is a safe place. However, it does not guarantee that crimes like thief, abuse, etc. do not exist. In hiring people (employees, maid, drivers, etc), we must do our homework (interview, checking, etc.) and hopefully, they are okay.

I also agree that Filipinos have Filipino accent when they speak english. Doesn't Singapore, indonesia, malaysia, australia,China etc. have accent as well when they speak english. It is like saying one is just willing to pay for BYD car but expect a Mercedes/BMW performance and standard.

Treat them well 2010-11-08 09:19 americans are murdering their families and so are others..but winning the hearts of Filipinos are easier..there are people who are deranged, but the angloid-krauts are 99% deranged. Beware of them.

ganzhuolin 2010-11-08 09:18 Well, if it's against the law then how can you protect maids from bad employers? Surely they'll be afraid to report bad employers coz they've already broken the law...?

Also any employer who felt that he was scammed by a maid, or whose family was harmed by a maid will think twice about reporting her coz he also broke the law in the first place...

steve 2010-11-08 09:08 It is quite hard to get decent maid in China. Too many request or condition, etc. Also, Local maid seems to treat the job lowly. Thus, quality of work is really so-so, or below standard.

The Other Side 2010-11-08 08:33 This article eulogises the Filipino maids; no denying they often do a good job,depending on what youare looking for; but don't forget there are horror stories too. Countries which have longer experiences with Filipino maids, and even SAR Hongkong, have many negative stories to tell. Best to present the other side for readers, especially Chinese readers, to have a more balanced picture.

For instance, some maids have been reported and indeed convicted of taking revenge on their employers over some unhapiness in their realtions with their employers, harming the little ones, even poisoning them and the elderly in their care; others prostitute themselves on their days off from work, sometimes bringing their clients home when their employers are not in. And as for children speaking 'fluent English' there are doubts too! The 'fluent English'they learned from their Filipino maids is often the Filipino variety, with a strong Tagalog(Filipino language) accent, not easily understood in countries where English is the mother tongue! The picture isn't as rosy as this article makes it out to be! So don't rush out there to get yourselves a Filipino maid!

Filipino Maids 2010-11-08 08:12 Treat them well and win their hearts..once this is achieve uncle sam's influence of brainwashing them against China will fade...one less nemesis..Filipino are good people, but too brainwashed by their uncle sam.

On one hand, there is no sign that the Chinese central government will change the law any time soon. On the other hand, the wealth people and even some wealthy provinces (such as Guangdong province) very much want the ban to be lifted.

Filipino maids remain somewhat 'underground' in mainland China, but they are out there in noticeable numbers. The placement agencies are openly advertising housekeeping services by Filipinos and they know how to get around the labor regulations.

By Han ManmanThe number of Filipino maids has risen sharply in Beijing recently. Although they are not legally allowed to work in China, that has not deterred local expats and wealthy Chinese families from taking the risk of employing one.More housekeeping agencies have started to develop this “under the table” business to take advantage of the lucrative market.But without an effective system for supervision, experts warn that the local Filipino maid market may eventually spin out of control.

Filipinos as perfect maids

“When I’m looking for a maid, I want someone who knows how to iron, separate whites from colored (clothes), beautify houses … and most importantly, she must be well educated and speak good English to create an English environment for my 8-year-old daughter at home,” said Chen Fengyu, a department manager who works for a US-based company.

The 38-year-old Chen is considering hiring a Filipino maid because of their “good reputation” worldwide.

“High quality is my first consideration, money is not a problem,” Chen added.

Finding a Filipino maid is not difficult for Chen. She just searched “Filipino maid” online and found many choices.

“There are so many housekeeping agencies here, but I only considered big agencies to avoid swindlers,” Chen said.

She said some agencies have already emailed her candidates and promised to arrange online interviews.

“They told me I could interview all the candidates until I found someone I was satisfied with, and they would soon arrange that person to come from the Philippines to work for me,” Chen said.

One agency wanted to charge her 9,000 yuan for the procedure, including the maid’s half-year visa fee, air ticket and commission, Chen said. This was on top of the maid’s monthly salary of 3,500 yuan.

“That agency told me there is no risk in hiring a Filipino. The government loosened its control after the Beijing Olympics,” Chen said.

“No domestic maid can match a Filipino,” said Ma Yixuan, who employed a Filipino maid for years, adding that it’s very worthwhile to employ a Filipino because they speak fluent English, are professional about chores and have a cheerful temperament and superior nanny skills.

Mecca of Filipino maids

As opposed to the mature Filipino maid markets in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, the market in Beijing was slow to get started.

According to a veteran in the household service industry who asked to be called Wang, Beijing’s Filipino maid business began in 2000 and was met with a chilly reception.

Wang said high commissions, complicated procedures, differing cultural backgrounds and communication barriers were the main barriers stopping Filipino maids from gaining a foothold in Beijing at that time.

“But people’s concept has changed over time,” Wang said. “More local middle class families have become interested in Filipino maids.”

Wang added that there are mainly three types of Chinese families willing to employ Filipino maids: those who want better household services; those who want their children to communicate with foreigners to improve their English; and those who want to show off their social status by employing a foreigner.

More maids have begun to view Beijing as an ideal working destination, Wang said.

Although there are no official figures of how many Filipino maids work in Beijing, Wang said he thinks the number is in the thousands.

Many Filipinos he meets initially hold the out-of-date impression that Beijing doesn’t have as many rich families as Hong Kong or Macao, Wang said. But when they come to Beijing and see their employer’s luxury items and big houses, they immediately change their minds. As a result, many contact friends back home to tell them about the opportunities in Beijing.

“And the employers in Beijing are less picky than those in Hong Kong, which is another thing that appeals to the workers,” Wang said.

Figures from the Philippines government last year show mainland China has become the top destination for Filipino maids seeking work overseas.

Beijing Today called four local housekeeping agencies and found that Filipino maids cost somewhere between 3,000 and 6,000 yuan a month, depending on the maid’s education background and working experience. Most of the agencies provide online interviews and promise the maids can be ready within a month. Some agencies even offer face-to-face interviews with clients within two days.

However, all these proceedings can only be carried out discreetly. Currently, foreigners are prohibited from providing household services on the mainland, so Filipino maids have to go through illegal channels.

A telephone operator from Manqijia Filipino Service Center who calls herself Jiang said the maids enter Beijing on travel or business visas, secured through housekeeping agencies, then work illegally.

Once inside the country, companies that specialize in visa services can help Filipino workers renew their expired visas without flying back to their country, Jiang said.

Mangy agencies also provide tips to employers on how to avoid trouble from the police.
“The maid needs to avoid being alone outside for long periods of time,” Jiang said. “If police come to your house and they’ve heard you have a Filipino maid, just insist the ‘maid’ is one of your relatives or friends and call us immediately.”

“We have ways to solve the issue,” she said.

An official from the Beijing Police Bureau said all Filipino maids who are in Beijing illegally will be deported if they are caught. The employer will also get fined. The official said the police bureau has established a special team to seek out illegal maids in Beijing.

According to China’s laws governing the entry and exit of aliens, illegally employed aliens face a fine of up to 1,000 yuan in addition to deportation.

The police official did not disclose how many Filipino maids have been caught so far.
The Filipino embassy refused to comment

Chaotic market leads to problems

While more Filipino maids are being hired, experts warn that engaging in working relationships without proper supervision and regulations can be risky.

“Once any dispute occurs, such as maids being abused or employers having property stolen, neither side will be able to get any legal protection and both sides will get punished,” said Yin Fuqiang, a lawyer from Beijing Longan Law Firm.

Yin said Hong Kong has clear regulations about the management of Filipino maids, and that minimum wages and rights are set in writing.

Without such a clear system on the mainland, the market will be disordered when more illegal maids come, Yin said.

Problems have already appeared. Some Filipinos who come actually have no experience doing housework. They are called “Filipino farmers,” and they aren’t discovered by local hiring agencies until it’s too late – usually when an employer calls to demand a refund.

Some employers have resorted to reporting these “maids” to the police.

Zhang Jijiao, an immigration expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the growing market for Filipino nannies is inevitable. Prohibition will not stem the tide.

“Legislative departments should set up a threshold to encourage legal immigration and prohibit illegal immigration,” he said, adding that the government should also work faster to establish the country’s first immigration law to better manage immigrant laborers

This is from China Daily, the official Chinese English newspaper:Home helps lured by cash

By Zhou Yan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-11-08 11:01

High cost of hiring Filipina maids does not deter affluent employers

SHANGHAI - Although it can be a lonely life, Aurea Blance, feels it is worthwhile working as a housemaid on the Chinese mainland, if only for the money.

The 49-year-old Filipina arrived in Jiangsu province's Changzhou city, near cosmopolitan Shanghai six months ago. She was surprised by how rich her employers are in such a little known Chinese city.

"I'm here making triple what I did as a mathematics teacher at a Philippines elementary school," Blance said. Her employers, a young entrepreneur couple in their early 30s, pay her around 3,500 a month.

"It's impossible to find a job in our profession that pays as high as a housekeeper receives here in China. That's why I came here," she said.

Her earnings in China can fully support her husband and four children back in the Philippines, the maid added.

Blance's employers live in a three-story apartment in the downtown area of the city. They have three housemaids, of whom Blance is the only foreigner. "My job is to take care of their 5-year-old boy and do a little routine housework," she said.

Like most of her Filipino peers, Blance possesses a bachelor's degree in education. Her major advantage in competing with Chinese maids is her English. "My major job in my madam's family is to teach her son English, which I started learning when I was five," she said.

According to Blance, 45 percent of women from Nueva Vizcaya province, where she comes from, leave their families to come to work as maids in industrialized countries and regions such as Singapore and Hong Kong.

As the number of rich people has increased on the mainland, so has the number of Filipina housemaids.

"Wages in the mainland are even higher than in Hong Kong, but living expenses, particularly food, are much cheaper. Therefore, we can save more working here," Blance said.

Due to official restrictions on foreign housemaids working on the mainland, there are no official figures revealing how many are in the mainland. But James Mo, who runs an agency to introduce Filipino maids to the mainland, said the number in Shanghai alone is more than a thousand.

Shanghai Golden Luzon Business Consultancy Co, the name of Mo's small enterprise, has introduced more than 60 maids from the Philippines since it started running in 2008.

Much to Mo's surprise, more than 80 percent of his clients are mainland people rather than foreigners in high positions at multinational companies in Shanghai.

"The higher cost of hiring a Filipina maid does not deter affluent Chinese employers," said Mo, who studied in the Philippines. Instead, more families are willing to have Filipina maids because of their better educational background, their fluent English, their well-trained housekeeping ability and their politeness, he said.

Since establishing his company, the phone has never stopped ringing, and demand has far surpassed supply.

"We receive about 30 telephone calls a month asking to employ Filipina housemaids now, up 30 percent from 2008," Mo said, adding that most enquirers are aged in their 40s with children.

Even though, there's an absence of supportive policies from the Chinese government to allow foreign domestic helpers to work on the mainland, the demand in Shanghai alone is exploding.

Industry experts estimate that generally employers of foreign maids in Shanghai are families with an income exceeding 1 million yuan annually.

Figures in the 2010 Hurun Wealth Report, which specializes in tracking China's rich, showed that the number of millionaires in the mainland was up 6.1 percent from the previous year at 875,000. Shanghai accounts for 14 percent of them.

"The market potential is huge here in the city, but little demand can be realized because of policy restrictions," Mo said.

All Filipina maids in China hold tourist visas, most of which need to be renewed every six months. They do not allow the holder to work, a cause of inconvenience to employers responsible for renewing the visas.

"Most of my friends in my hometown are willing to come to China, but only a small fraction of them eventually make it because of visa issues," Blance said, hoping that the job market will open up more to her and her peers one day.